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WORLD GASTROENTEROLOGY NEWS FEBRUARY 2019
Editorial | Gastro 2018 | WDHD News | WGO & WGOF News | WGO Global Guidelines | Calendar of Events
an “evening clinic” after his administrative
work was completed. It was
natural that he became sought after as
a teacher, lecturer and mentor worldwide
and many of Richard’s trainees
have become national and international
clinical and research leaders.
Richard ran an active basic gastrointestinal
research laboratory focused on
mucosal immunology, inflammation,
and membrane structure and function.
His clinical research group was large
and covered many aspects of IBD, especially
new treatments and the role of
the microbiome. He was also a science
entrepreneur and was the co-founder
of Metabolomic Technologies Inc
(MTI) which was an award-winning
University of Alberta spin-off technology
company to develop PolypDX, a
non-invasive test to detect precancerous
polyps. Richard was involved in
both the basic research and clinical
development of PolypDX and was key
to securing partnerships to accelerate
the product to market.
Richard Fedorak was widely
recognized for his academic contributions
as Fellow of the Royal Colleges
Richard with Catherine Mulvale (Former Exec.
Director of CDHF) at the Ride Program, Ontario
2016
Canada, London and Edinburgh. He
was a Fellow of the Royal Society of
Canada and of the Canadian Academy
of Health Sciences. He has published
more than 400 peer-reviewed
manuscripts and book chapters
and has received numerous awards,
research fellowships and grants and
held two patents in colonic-specific
drug delivery and colorectal cancer
diagnosis. He served on a number of
national and international scientific
advisory boards and organizations
devoted to IBD.
On a personal note, Richard was
a wonderful friend and colleague
who I had the pleasure to know for
more than 30 years, first when he
was Secretary of the CAG during my
Presidency. His extraordinary administrative
skills, organization and support
greatly enriched and enhanced
my role. It was a pleasure to join him
almost a decade later when Steve Collins
and I had the honor to co-chair
the Scientific Program Committee under
Richard’s leadership for the World
Congress of Gastroenterology in 2005
in Montreal. For the past 11 years we
worked closely together after he became
President of the CDHF. Richard
possessed remarkable people skills and
was a natural communicator, with
a deep interest in patient, student,
staff or colleague alike and was always
generous with his time, making each
Richard Fedorak, President of the 13th WCOG,
Montreal 2005
feel the focus of his attention. He was
supportive of all those working in his
team and showed a life-time a loyalty
for all those he worked with. He had
a wonderful sense of humor, a twinkle
in his eye and an infectious personality
that created a can-do atmosphere
for all those around him.
Richard was also a very private
person who valued and protected his
family above all else, ensuring that
they came first and that we should
understand and respect his wishes.
At home Richard took great pleasure
in life with his wife Karen and two
children Kristin and Bryan and he
especially valued time at their lakeside
cottage. Richard was hugely supportive
of Karen’s successful career as
Chief Medical Officer of Health in
Alberta, and encouraged Kristin and
Bryan’s academic, musical and sporting
activities enabling their evolution
to successful independence.
Richard was an exceptional person,
gifted with a superb intellect, drive
and sense of purpose which was
combined with remarkable leadership
talents and a compassionate caring
and considerate personality. For those
fortunate enough to be influenced by
Richard, he endowed us with confidence
and a sense of commitment in
our task. He was a wonderful friend,
role model and global leader in our
extended family of global gastroenterology
and he has set the bar high for
us all. The WGO joins me in sending
our sincere condolences to Karen,
Kristin and Bryan and the Fedorak
family at this sad time.
Richard and Karen in 2004
Richard was an outstanding
clinician with a sensitive
and compassionate
approach to his patients.